"She was so beautiful, even wild geese forgot how to fly!" Wang Zhaojun, one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient China, was more than just a pretty face. She changed history—by volunteering to leave the palace and marry a nomadic king for the sake of peace. In this short, easy Chinese story, learn how a forgotten palace lady became a diplomatic legend. Discover what the idiom "落雁" (falling geese) really means, and why geese were falling from the sky (well, sort of). Perfect for Chinese language learners, lovers of Chinese history and legends, viewers of costume dramas and the curious traveler. Transcript 我们之前说过，“闭月羞花、沉鱼落雁”这两个成语是来形容美女的。“羞花”说的是杨贵妃，“落雁”说的就是王昭君。 王昭君是西汉时期的一位宫女，本来她在宫中默默无闻。那个时候，皇帝选妃子常常是先看画像。因为王昭君没有贿赂画师，所以她被画得很普通，以至于皇帝一直没有注意到她。后来，匈奴来请汉朝送一位女子和亲，王昭君主动请缨。临走时皇帝才第一次见到她，发现她非常美丽，但已经来不及改变决定了。 传说，在她出塞的路上，一群大雁飞过时看到她美丽的身影，惊讶得忘了拍翅膀，从空中落了下来。于是人们就用“落雁”来形容她的美貌。 她到了草原后，嫁给了匈奴的国王，生活并不轻松，但她一直尽力促进汉朝和匈奴的和平。人们管她叫“宁胡阏氏”，意思是带来和平的王后。 今天，我们可以在内蒙古呼和浩特参观昭君博物院，详细了解她的故事。 English translation and exercises: https://www.travelthroughchineselearning.com/blog/wang-zhaojun-the-beauty-who-made-geese-fall -- Hosting provided by SoundOn